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Gardening in New Zealand

Composting

22 years ago

Can anyone tell me how to compost leaves from a magnolia tree. They seem to contain lots of resin which will not break down. So far I've tried several commercial potions to no avail. Latest trick is running a motor mower over them to reduce their size but still they refuse to break down. Any ideas?

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Comments (8)

Liz_w
22 years ago
Not sure, it could just be a time thing. Or you could try a wood chipper??? or layer alternately with stuff like seaweed & manure & leave a whole heap longer ??? pee on them heaps :O ???? Or just give up & use them as a weedmat under paths & stuff or the lowest layer of a no dig bed.
Pusser
Original Author
22 years ago
Ta for that Liz_W especially the bit about pee on them, who else but a Mainlander would have thought of that? I guess I'll just have to keep digging trenches and hope for the best. Unfortunately the leaves appear to have a killing effect on worms so has to be a real deep trench. Happy gardening
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totoro, my roses have really responded well to the tea. It's the best they've looked all year, so I'm bummed it's getting cold. I so hope all my buds eventually open. I also "accidentally" made some compost tea so I sprayed that with a little bit of AT directly on the leaves to combat BS. It's hard to know if worked, but even the worst offenders haven't caught BS yet, so who knows. Usually those grow back with BS, though. I'll try it from the first of the season next year now that I see how easy it is with my new Chapin mosquito sprayer. Samuel, you are so far ahead of us. We haven't lost any leaves and everything is still green. That will probably change with the cold this week. I've been putting the remainder of this years compost in bags leaving just enough to help with the microbes. I really need a source of nitrogen. Nobody bags grass around here so maybe it's time to try the coffee grounds. The thought has crossed my mind that applying it directly may help with midge due to the ph, but I haven't read any research on that. I have a separate place for my food waste. I'd still like to try turkey manure, but I lost access to a truck so It's bagged for me, I guess. What other easy sources of N could I find? I brought in all my houseplants and cuttings/rootings. I think I can leave my 5gal. potted roses out a bit longer. I don't think my coal cellar is that cold yet. I wonder what the temp needs to be to induce dormancy?
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Straysod, Like you, and others who replied, I have a small tumbler that never really finishes. I dig it out by the bucketfull and use it rough. the places where I have dug it into the soil, it disappears quickly and though partially unfinished, hasnt hurt any plants. in fact, they seem to like it. I use mostly kitchen scraps and have a lack of browns too. I don't know why we introverts are so silly about this but i also put off asking my neighbors for leaves for almost a year. I was so awkward in avoiding this simple conversation that I once waited until they weren't home and hastily swept up all the leaves in the street in front of their house. I felt like a bandit! How embarrassing! But just last week I finally asked one of my neighbors for her leaves and she was so sweet and happy to oblige! Why had I been putting it off so long?! Now I have access to a neverending supply! ....And yet despite this success I am still avoiding asking my other neighbor for her grass clippings! O.o The worst thing they can say is no and you're right back where you started. Best case you have a new free resource. Maybe offer to blow and sweep the leaves yourself if you think they're likely to say no. Good luck to you with your compost and happy gardening.
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Liz_w
22 years ago
I have a friend who has a friend ( or some other tenuous link ) who reputedly makes a weed spray that works on kikui(sp?) grass by macerating manuka in water until it rots down. It's the oils in it apparantly that do the trick. Maybe your magnolia would have some magical organic weedkilling or bug killing properties if you tried this ? I s'pose another option is to do away with the magnolia altogether & replace it with something beautiful & native.

& teehee I'm still looking for a JAFA bumper sticker for my BMW ;)
riverstone6
22 years ago
Are these leaves from the deciduous magnolia or the evergreen one?? Either go through the mulcher here and this really speeds the rot--if no mulcher run over them with the mower!! Just layer your results with woopsies,seaweed, vacuum bag goodies over newspapers. Educate the worms and smother the weeds as well as make compost where you need it, no sweat!!
PS Liz let us know about the JAFA sticker!!!:)
Sandra
erphy
22 years ago
howdy..run over them a couple of times with the lawn mower..and use as mulch around the tree itselff or other plants...or if dead leaves use as a carbon material in the compost...or if you wish to compost on their own...use 1/2 cup molasas disolved in sheep poop tea about three littres and pour over a barrow load mix and then leave in pile covered.turn as necessary...or use this mix in your compost as well
Liz_w
22 years ago
What does the molasses do ? I have a friend who uss it in chook food but I've not heard of it used in composting before.
billabonggardens
20 years ago
Molasses dissolved in water is a good cmposting friend, add to all composting....like sugar its a quicker breakdownfor all composting.
suziebee
20 years ago
comfrey is excellent as a compost activator. I grow it especially to add to the compost, or to make a tea as a good plant tonic. I have heard of molasses used in the garden for all sorts of purposes, but worry about attracting ants ( which we have inside the house now, the first time in 25 years )

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